AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods tossed a couple of balata balls to Rory McIlroy on Monday while practicing at Augusta National. McIlroy putted a few and said: “Oh, my God.”
“I said, ‘Yes, exactly,’ ” recalled Woods during his pre-tournament press conference at the 87th Masters. “We’re not going to roll the ball back that far, but it’s kind of neat to be able to see the golf ball do different things.”
Last month, the USGA and R&A proposed a Model Local Rule intended to reduce distance at the highest levels of men’s golf. The proposal involves the use of modified golf balls that would reduce hitting distances by 14-15 yards on average for the longest hitters with the highest clubhead speeds.
Woods is in favor of the change, noting that it should’ve been done a long time ago.
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“The average number used to be, what, 280 off the tee, 279 when I first came out on Tour,” noted Woods. “Now the guys are carrying it 320, OK. So not every golf course can be like Augusta National and move property and moving holes back. There’s only so many golf courses you can do that on, and we still want to be able to play the old traditional great golf courses.”
Woods went on to say that he’d like to see players who compete in professional events use a pro ball, while players competing in amateur tournaments use an amateur ball.
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“But if you’re an amateur playing a pro event, now that’s where the transition can be had, where you can start, I wouldn’t say rolling the game back,” he said, “but you can start slowing it down because we’re just not able to create enough property out there.”
Woods acknowledged the marketing hurdles that would come with pros and amateurs playing two different balls. But on a competitive level, he said, the change would create more of a separation among the elites.
“OK, well, on Tour, it’s exciting to see Rory McIlroy hit it 340 yards on every hole,” he said. “But does it challenge us and separate the guys who can really hit the ball in the middle of the face and control their shots? I think if you roll the ball back a little bit, you’ll see that the better ball-strikers will have more of an advantage over the guys who miss it a little bit.”
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Woods’ close friend Justin Thomas is among the PGA Tour’s most vocal critics when it comes to the proposed changes, saying “It’s so bad for the game of golf.”
Should the rule be adopted by the PGA Tour, the earliest it could be implemented is Jan. 1, 2026. When asked how the changes might impact him personally, Woods said he may be “in the buggy” by then, presumably referring to the PGA Tour Champions.
“Last week, I was at home playing at Medalist,” he continued, “and I had my old persimmon driver, and I was able to still carry the ball 290 yards. Now, when I missed it, no, it did not go very far. But the ability to hit the ball in the middle of the face was rewarded.”
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